The present invention pertains to a closure applicator for applying closures to cartons in a form, fill and seal and packaging machine. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a closure applicator for use in a form, fill and seal packaging machine that utilizes a swinging arm and linkage for moving closures into position for applying to the carton.
Cartons are used in a wide variety of packaging applications. In the food packaging industry, form, fill and seal packaging machines have been used for decades to package food items such as milk, juice and soups for distribution to retail outlets such as grocery stores and the like.
One type of container for food packaging is the well-recognized gable top container. Such a container includes slanted gable panels that are sealed to one another at an upstanding top fin. Early containers required that the fin panels be separated from one another and the gable opened in order to access the product in the container.
Advances have been made in configurations for providing access to product in the containers. One such advancement has been in the use of plastic spouts attached to the container. Typically, such a spout has a flange that is integral with the upstanding spout and is referred to as a closure or fitment. The flange is welded or sealed to the container on an interior surface of the container at the gable panel. Typically, the flange is sealed at a periphery of an opening formed in the container. The spout extends from the flange, through the container material. A cap, such as a threaded closure can then be applied to the spout to provide resealable access to the container product.
In an effort to maintain high packaging line process speeds, closure applicators have been developed for picking a closure from a bulk supply of closures, transporting the closure into the interior of a (partially constructed, e.g., open-top) carton and moving the closure such that the spout extends though the opening in the carton and the flange is in contact with the interior portion of the carton immediately adjacent the opening. The closure (at the flange) is welded or sealed to the carton. Subsequent to application and sealing of the closure to the carton, the carton can be sterilized, filled and the top panels can be prefolded and folded and the fin seal established.
Many closure applicators include a series of complex movements, typically, arcuate or curved movements to take the closure from the bulk source of closures (or a transport or a dispensing arrangement from the bulk source) and moving the closure into the carton for subsequent sealing. An exemplary apparatus for applying fitments to a carton is disclosed in Giacomelli et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,504, which patent is commonly assigned herewith and is incorporated herein by reference. Other applicators are also known. There are various drawbacks to these applicators, many of which required a nonlinear or arcuate movement of the closure into the carton. Such movement typically requires relatively complex assemblies and increases the amount of energy required for movement of the closures. Other applicators include star-wheels or other configurations that likewise require a combination of complex linear and rotational movements (and thus drives) to position the closures in the cartons for subsequent sealing.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a linear motion applicator for use in applying or moving closures into an interior portion of the carton for sealing thereto. Preferably, such a linear motion applicator is relatively simple in design. More desirably, such an applicator further uses a readily actuated linkage system for movement of the applicator for subsequent sealing to the carton.
An applicator is used for applying an associated closure to an interior surface of an associated carton in a form, fill and seal packaging machine. An associated closure has a flange that is sealed to the interior surface of the carton.
The applicator includes a frame, a carriage mounted to the frame for longitudinal movement, a closure supply and an anvil mounted to the carriage for longitudinal movement with the carriage. The carriage moves between an inserted position (moving the anvil and closure into the container) and a withdrawn position (moving the anvil out of the container). The anvil is configured for securing the closure thereto as it moves the closure from the closure supply to the carton. The anvil can be mounted to an anvil arm.
The applicator further includes a longitudinal drive for longitudinally moving the anvil and a transverse drive for transversely moving the anvil. In a current embodiment, the drives are cylinders, such as pneumatic cylinders.
The applicator further includes a sealing member. In a current embodiment, the sealing member is an ultrasonic sealer.
The closure is secured by the anvil and transported on the anvil from the closure supply in a plane transcribed by the longitudinal and transverse drives. The closure (on the anvil) is moved into an interior portion of the carton and into contact with the interior surface of the carton. The sealing member contacts an exterior surface of the carton corresponding to an area of contact of the closure at the interior surface and seals the closure to the carton.
In a present embodiment, the anvil arm is pivotally mounted to a carriage and a linkage operably connects the transverse drive and the anvil. In this arrangement, the transverse drive is mounted to the carriage for longitudinal movement therewith.
The linkage can be configured having includes a duplex hinge, a first link operably connecting the carriage and the duplex hinge, and a second link operably connecting the duplex hinge and the anvil. In this arrangement, the transverse drive is operably connected to the duplex hinge to effect movement of the anvil between an extended position and a retracted position.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.